


I Prayed, at First

by PuppiesRainbowsSadism



Series: fic a month challenge 2015 [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Hunter!Castiel, M/M, Pre-Slash, Vessel!Sam, reverse verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-31
Updated: 2015-03-31
Packaged: 2018-03-20 14:15:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3653466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuppiesRainbowsSadism/pseuds/PuppiesRainbowsSadism
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: "For a few short, blissful moments after Sam woke up, he didn’t remember a thing."</p><p>In which Castiel is a hunter and Sam was a vessel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Prayed, at First

**Author's Note:**

> For the OTP Fic-a-Month Challenge. March: Reverse verse
> 
> I'd really like to write more in this verse, so let me know if you're interested in reading more. :3

For a few short, blissful moments after Sam woke up, he didn’t remember a thing. He couldn’t recall his name, where he was, how he got here – his mind was mercifully blank.

                Then, slowly, Sam started to remember. The memories came back slowly, fuzzy at first before gradually sharpening. His limbs felt heavy, his head throbbed, and he was in so much pain. At least it was dark, when he opened his eyes. He immediately recognized the empty room – he was in a hospital.

                Sam sighed and leaned against the pillows, playing with his fingers just because he could. A confusing mixture of relief and horror kept his chest tight.

                “Oh. You’re awake.”

                Sam didn’t look at the man who spoke, but all the same, he recognized him. He closed his eyes and remembered fighting for control, a battle he knew was futile but it didn’t matter anyway because the man plunged his knife right through him. Then there was heat, a scream, and darkness.

                “You didn’t kill me,” he said aloud, speaking more to himself than the man in the doorway. He almost wished he hadn’t survived. After everything, death would have been merciful.

                “It’s amazing,” the stranger said (could he be called a stranger?), helping himself to the chair by Sam’s bed. “I’ve killed a share of angels, and none of the vessels survived. Until you.”

                Less than a year ago, Sam would have called this guy crazy. Sam was a man of faith, sure, but angels walking the Earth? In human vessels, no less? But he had nothing to argue anymore. He’d lived it.

                “Who are you?” he asked instead.

                “My name is Castiel. I’m a hunter.”

                Sam laughed drily. “A hunter? I’m guessing you’re not talking about quail.”

                “No. Monsters,” Castiel explained, missing the sarcasm entirely. “Spirits and demons – “

                “And angels, oh my.” Sam rolled his eyes. “I get it.”

                “You’re adjusting to this well. Most people deny their existence to their dying breath.”

                “I’ve had some time,” Sam snapped. He was trapped with that angel a number of months. He couldn’t say how long exactly; it was difficult to keep track when he wasn’t even in control of his own body.

                “I’m sorry,” Castiel apologized, sounding sincere. “You must have questions. I’ll answer all of them, but for now, rest.”

                “You’re coming back.”

                “Of course.”

                “So what am I, then? Some kind of test subject to you? I survived, and you want to know why?” Sam would die before he was put under a microscope by the likes of _Castiel_.

                “I want to know, certainly. But that’s not why I’m staying.”

                By the scrape of the chair, Sam guessed Castiel stood. He took a glance from the corner of his eye and saw the bottom half of a tan trenchcoat. Odd, for a hunter of any kind.

                “I don’t just hunt things,” Castiel continued softly. “I save people. You’re my responsibility.”

                Sam wanted to say that he wasn’t anyone’s responsibility but his own, and that he didn’t want a complete stranger helping him out of pity. But Castiel turned on his heel and left before Sam could articulate any of that.

:::

The next day, Sam was poked and prodded at by a doctor to make sure he was still functioning. Apparently, he had fallen into a short coma, and they were all amazed that Sam seemed to be at one hundred percent capacity.

                Castiel sat in the corner and watched. He said nothing and offered no explanations. Evidently, not even doctors knew about the existence of angels, or any other nightmare, for that matter. Sam wondered what happened when hunters got seriously injured, if they were just put down like horses or if there were a select few doctors in the loop. He didn’t have a good guess one way or the other.

                “Are you even allowed to be in here?” Sam asked, none too kindly, when the doctor left to run some samples.

                “I told them we’re married,” Castiel answered simply, as if it were obvious. Sam almost choked. “We don’t look alike enough to be related, and I needed to be able to visit you.”

                Ice shot through Sam’s veins. His family. God, how could he forget about them? He’d heard the angel in his head talking about Jess – but surely he was lying, right? The angel lied about so much.

                “Are you alright? You look pale.”

                “I need to sit down,” Sam choked out, collapsing onto the hospital bed.

                “What’s wrong? Do I need to get the doctor?” Castiel, for all his stoicism, was blatantly concerned, and that just made Sam feel so much worse.

                “No, it’s just . . . my family,” he admitted with a sigh. “I heard him – the angel – say something about my fiancée. Something horrible. Do – do you know if she’s safe? Can you check?”

                Castiel looked at him, concern and sorrow written plainly on his face, and Sam knew the answer to his question.

                “Oh God,” he whispered. “Oh God, she – she’s dead, isn’t she?”

                “I’m so sorry, Sam.”

                Sam doubled over, covering his face with his hands. This was all his fault. If he hadn’t accepted the angel’s offer, if he had just listened to Jess instead of letting his faith be used against him, none of this would have happened.

                Castiel rested his hand on Sam’s shoulder awkwardly, as if he wasn’t used to giving this kind of comfort.

                “If it helps at all, she was asleep when it happened. She didn’t feel a thing.”

                “How’d she go?” Sam had no idea why he was asking. He didn’t really want to know.

                “A fire. She suffocated before it even got to her.”

                Sam nodded. Jess was still dead, but at least she went painlessly, he supposed. “And the rest of my family?”

                “Alive,” Castiel answered immediately. “Concerned. All they know is that you disappeared after the house fire and haven’t been seen since. Your brother is actively out looking for you as we speak.”

                Sam blinked. “Dean?” He wasn’t very close with his brother. Why would Dean be so eager to find him?

                As if reading his thoughts, Castiel said, “He loves you very much, Sam, and I imagine he’s less than eager to lose another family member.”

                Sam tried to swallow past the lump in his throat, but it helped nothing. Tears still blurred his vision. “How the hell do you know all this?”

                “I was looking for the angel that was possessing you. He had to be stopped, to put it lightly. So I did some research.”

                “What was his name? The angel’s.”

                For the first time, Castiel looked hesitant. “Do you really want to know?”

                Sam’s stomach dropped. It obviously was not going to be a good answer, but despite that, Sam said, “Yes.”

                Castiel sighed. “Lucifer. His name was Lucifer.”

                “I was possessed by _Satan_?” Sam panicked.

                Castiel opened his mouth to speak, but the doctor walked in, expression shifting from pleased to concerned the moment she saw Sam.

                Immediately, Castiel’s entire demeanour shifted. He hugged Sam close, letting his tears soak his pressed white shirt, and carded his fingers through his hair while muttering softly, “It’s okay, honey, it’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.”

                Sam didn’t know if Castiel meant what he said or if it was all an act, but it was exactly what Sam needed to hear.


End file.
